Color Guard News

A class designers talk about making your show memorable to the audience AND your performers

It’s the biggest dilemma guard designers face. In large classifications, how do you make your team stand out with the audience and judges? Some of the top A class designers in the FFCC seem to think that finding programs that are, first and foremost, memorable to your performers is the key to it all.

Hector Fermaint, director at Oak Ridge High School, has led his program through 15 years of consistent growth that now has them battling in the ever-competitive Scholastic A class in the FFCC. Fermaint feels the key is finding the balance between being unique but also connecting with your kids. “Through music, I like to stay out of the box but you should always know your performers and the types of music they will enjoy performing to.”

Knowing your students and what will be memorable to them will naturally translate and become memorable to the audience and judges. FFCC Hall of Fame member, Michael James, who currently designs in Scholastic A for Sunlake High School says, “I try to stick to their ‘identity’ as a color guard. When everyone spends their time copying or recreating someone else’s ideas, I’d rather remain true to who we are. Diversity is a beautiful thing. We need to embrace that again.”

Jade Bouza, from Newsome High School echoes the same sentiment. “Find what makes your team special, whether it is performance quality, weapon, training, movement, etc. and embrace it. Each team is different. Each season is different. Most importantly though, give the students something to connect to in their program, but don’t do all the work for them. Ask THEM how they connect to it – empower them a bit. The best inspiration is when students and staff are both equally invested in the creative process, and it makes for a memorable season regardless of the numbers or placements.”

So, it seems the most successful designs are ones that are synergistic with who the designers, instructors, and performers really are. Ricardo Robinson of Braden River High School mentions, “I’ve found the most success designing shows around my personal, as well as my student’s personalities. Since I am typically a ‘happy-go-lucky’ guy, and my kids are comical, we usually do something that is lighter and more crowd entertaining.” FFCC audiences who have seen the delightful Braden River show this year entitled, “Pure Imagination” will verify that Robinson’s quote above is completely true.

Jarret Thompson, from Lake Howell High School adds, “A class is so large it is easy to get lost in the crowd, so I try to make my team stand out by creating a unique mood in the gym or arena. People will always remember how you make them feel”.

Memorable shows to the audience and judges must first start out as being memorable to the performers. The advice of these A class experts seems to encourage all instructors and designers to get to know their kids. Find what excites them. Find out who they are. Then from there, develop a program that engages them and the audience and judges will follow right along.

Good Luck to all of our FFCC ensembles as they create memories in 2016!

Coming fresh off an exciting day for the Orlando area color guards at Cypress Creek, the FFCC moves this week to Tampa and Jacksonville as traditional shows at Seminole High School and Fleming Island High School take center stage. Here are some things to look for at both events as over 80 FFCC ensembles take to the floor this weekend:

At Seminole:

The Cadet ensembles from Liberty Middle School, Seminole Middle School, and Northside Christian School will meet again. All 3 teams are having successful seasons and represent that the future is bright for color guard in Florida.

Weeki Wachee High School makes their first appearance in the AA class after being promoted out of AAA. This change also represents a sheet change for Weeki, as they now find themselves being evaluated on the National A class criteria that is the foundation of AA.

9 percussion units make the trek to Seminole to compete again, one week after the Percussion Focus West show. Though seeding for Championships is already set, these ensembles will look for additional feedback to improve their programs over the next 4 weeks.

At Fleming Island:

In the Winds Independent World Division, Project Arts makes an appearance at this show. The spectators at Fleming Island will get a first-hand look at this new and exciting activity in the FFCC.

A full complement of 12 ensembles will compete in the Class B division. For many of the teams this performance represents their final FFCC performance of the season.

Nease High School appears at Fleming Island in the Scholastic World class. Coming off a strong showing at the WGI Tampa Regional, Nease’s performance will be a definite treat for the crowd at Fleming Island.

Full schedules and performance orders for these events can we found on www.ffcc.org. Take in an FFCC event this weekend. What a great opportunity to see so many great performances in one place!

The FFCC is pleased to announce the Martha Stark Memorial Scholarship and Kevin Paulus Sportsmanship Award applications are now LIVE! The deadline for both of these prestigious awards is Friday, March 11, 2016 at 11:59PM. All applications must be complete and received before the deadline to be considered. If you have any questions regarding the application process or these awards, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

For further information or to apply for the Martha Stark Scholarship, please click here.

For further information or to nominate a team for the Kevin Paulus Sportsmanship Award, please click here.

The FFCC is pleased to announce that the following groups have been promoted to the next class of competition based on their performances at the 2016 FFCC Championships in Daytona Beach. Congratulations to these groups on their accomplishments and good luck in you new class of competition in 2017!

All across the FFCC Community, winterguards have been rehearsing in preparation for this Saturday’s Premiere Contests. A lot of work goes into the PreSeason: from rehearsing during Christmas Break to practicing on tennis courts for an indoor activity. Here is a sneak peek into what is in store for you this Saturday.

Liberty Middle School

The 15 ladies of the Liberty Middle School Winter Guard are excited for their inaugural season into the FFCC. Pictured is their opening pose for their 2016 production entitled, “The River”. With musical selections from Tina Turner, Liberty hopes to get audiences on their feet with a concert-like atmosphere. Liberty Middle School Winter Guard will be attending Premier West at Gaither High School, Plant City High School, Riverview High School, Seminole High School, and Lakeland High School as well as FFCC Championships in Daytona Beach.

Lowndes High School JV (Sch. B Class)

The Lowndes JV Team will be performing a show to “You Can’t Stop The Beat.” Lowndes invites 8th graders from the three surrounding middle schools to join the JV team. It takes them about 30-45 minutes to get to the high school from the middle schools, so they end up missing a significant amount of rehearsal. However, they are eager to learn and do a wonderful job making up for lost time.

East River High School (Sch. AAA Class)

East River will be performing a show entitled “Elastic Love”. Their staff includes : Jen Steinhoff, and Umarin Patamasank. The Falcon Winter Guard rehearses on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30pm-7:30pm. They rehearse in the school cafeteria and whenever possible, they rehearse in the gym. The kids have really established a great work ethic and rehearsal etiquette. They are eager to try new tosses and are not afraid to learn new tricks. This year we have a mix of seasoned members and rookies, including 5 8th graders that eagerly joined the high school team this season. We are looking forward to growing as a program this year and anticipate a fun filled season.

Nease JV High School (Sch. AAA Class)

Nease JV will be returning to the FFCC this season. The team started their show the week before Christmas with the show designer Randy Nelson. On average Nease JV rehearses two days a week outside on a covered courtyard for a couple of hours after school. The team has thirteen performers showcasing their production “A Winter’s Night”. The JV team is fortunate to be repurposing several items from the field show to create a polished look for the team from: costumes, to flags, to trees! The Instructional team includes: Randy Nelson, Nick O’Brien, Noura Zakaria and Jill Moser.

North Fort Meyers High School (Sch. AAA Class)

North Fort Myers High School has been preparing for the winter guard season since early December when it had their first auditions. Ever since then the team has been meeting for four hours every Tuesday and Thursday after school. Due to school policies we were unable to rehearse over our winter break. As a team being based out of southwest Florida we split our rehearsals half inside half outside this way we can use the floor as much as possible.

North Fort Myers High School is proud to announce their show “The Storm.” This show takes a trip through a peaceful day until a massive storm blows through. This show portrays the beauty in nature that can quickly turn into a dark stormy encounter. North Fort Myers High School Winter guard is under the direction of Michael Haefele, Melanie Gilbert and Aireal Golladay. Band Director is Sara Johnson and principal is Matthew Mederios.

Freedom High School, Tampa (Sch. AA Class)

The 15 ladies and gentlemen of the Freedom High School Winter Guard are excited to perform their 2016 program entitled, “Where Have All The Children Gone?”. The show explores the struggles that abandoned children go through when they have no place to call home. Pictured is one of Freedom’s captains on the first rifle toss of the show. Freedom High School Winter Guard will be attending local FFCC shows, FFCC Championships in Daytona Beach, WGI Tampa Regional, as well as WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio.

J.W. Mitchell High School (Sch AA Class)

There are two words that we don’t use often enough…these two words are usually use to show gratitude to someone else. The JW Mitchell high school varsity is proud to present their 2016 program “Thank you”. The varsity team had their first staging day on December 15. Before this we had a week and a half of rehearsal to work on technique, call backs for them team and rehearsals for our prism concert. We have had a total of three design days with our drill writer, one of them inside the gym( January 4th). Our usual rehearsal space is in the tennis courts on Tuesdays and Wednesday from 5pm-8pm, the students do a great job dealing with weather and lighting situation. Depending on how bad the weather is sometimes we are able to get the middle school gym or the cafeteria, worst case scenario we are in the band room.

Our show is about thanking people in our life. From the little things like holding the door to lifting us in or darkest moment. This year the JW Mitchell Variaty will be competing in AA class for the first time in the FFCC and they are attending their first WGI regional and will be competing in scholastic A class.

Melbourne High School (Sch. AA Class)

The Melbourne HS Sensations Winter Guard is pleased to announce their 2016 production “You Are Not Alone,” featuring the song “Keep It Together” by Tyler Ward and The CO. Melbourne HS is under the direction of Theresa Vasquez, with the assistance of Joy Kechik and Laura Zamora. Show design is by Andrew Snow.

The show is dedicated to suicide awareness and hope, something Theresa Vasquez encounters much too often during her “real” job as a School Psychologist in Brevard County. We are hoping to reach hundreds of teenagers and young adults throughout the competition season and spread the message that everyone feels sad, alone, or like the want to give up sometimes and it’s OK to ask for help.

Santa Fe High School (Sch. AA Class)

Santa Fe High School began their Indoor Season, the first week of December. As an FMBC competitive Marching Band, Auditions are usually held the first week of December. The unit rehearsed: the month of December and took all of Winter Break off. Usually, they rehearse on a lighted outdoor tennis court. If the basketball team is not practicing, they are allowed into the gym.

This year, their show is entitled “ Into the Light “. The show music is to Imogen Heap’s “Candlelight”. Conceptually, the show is about the journey of a women with no eyesight. The Colorguard has done research on Helen Keller, the adversity she faced and how she found her own light.

Lowndes High School (Sch. A Class)

Since auditions in October, the team has had 3 camps for staging and choreography. Lowndes had their staging completed before Christmas, and they have the first draft of most choreography. We work with our administration and basketball coaches to arrange time for gym use- especially for camp days. The school hosted a HUGE 3-day basketball tournament over winter break and the varsity held one of their camps at a nearby elementary school. We were very thankful for use of the space, and that the band director and administrators helped make sure we were taken care of.

Lowndes regularly practices on Mondays and Wednesdays. They begin in the Cafetorium and then move to the gym when it is available. The cafe is tiered, without enough flat space to pull out the floor, so we have to wait for the gym to become available. Sometimes the gym is taken during the whole practice, and they do not get a chance to pull out the floor. The students get really good at standstill run-throughs. Once basketball season ends, Lowndes has priority in our school’s big gym, just in time for our first regional of the year!

Olympia High School (Sch. A Class)

The Olympia High School Winter Guard has been working since November on their production for the 2016 winter season. We started with design camps on Saturdays in the gym as well as rehearsals during the week in either the cafeteria, band room, or the school courtyard. We had 5 main design camps from 10-6 as well as rehearsals on Tuesdays and Thursdays working hard to make sure that we could come to premiere as comfortable as possible. We rehearsed only on the first Saturdays of the Thanksgiving and winter breaks. As a director, I feel that it is important that students have time outside of rehearsals to spend with their family and friends over a break. Although there were no official rehearsals, many members met up in small groups over their breaks to practice together to make sure that they had their work down for the weeks leading up to premiere.

Oviedo High School (Sch. A Class)

The Oviedo High School Color Guard is proud to present its 2016 program, “unWANTED.” The opening of the haunting soundtrack allows the twenty performers to portray how it feels to be cast aside. As the show unfolds the performers allow themselves to undergo an emotional transformation, showing the audience what is important: love, fun, and enjoying life, no matter the barriers or obstacles in one’s path. Adding an individual connection, each performer on the floor claims her own transformative word, giving her the motivation to share the story of her worthiness.

Pre-Season: After completing a successful marching band season, the Oviedo High School Color Guard began its indoor season after Thanksgiving, rehearsing Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6pm-9pm. Oviedo rehearses indoors, primarily in the school’s cafeteria, with occasional gym time. Technique was the focus for the first several rehearsals and remains an important component of the guard’s regular training. The design process began in earnest at a ten hour Saturday camp before Winter Break. With two weeks off for the holidays, the guard reassembled in January to continue building upon December’s progress, heading toward FFCC Premier!

Oakridge High School (Sch. A Class)

The fourteen member guard of Oak Ridge High School will be performing their 2016 program entitled “Dear Future Generation”. The program is about how the older generation has treated the earth. They have not taken care of the earth the way it should have been, so now the future generation has to suffer. The future generation is not aware of the beautiful things that the earth once had to offer because of the way the earth is now. As the program progresses it starts to talk about we can bring the earth back to the way it was but its all up to the future generation. Oak Ridge will be performing this program in FFCC, and for the first time in school history we will travel all the way to Dayton Ohio for WGI Championships.

Gainesville High School (Sch. Open Class)

Gainesville High School will be performing for the first time in Open Class. The ensemble began rehearsing the first week of December with Camps before winter break, and right before school started. Typically the ensemble rehearses outside on a basketball court. On weekend rehearsals, the ensemble is allowed into the gym.

This year, Gainesville Open will be performing a show entitled “Behind the Glass”. The show is based on whales in captivity. Gainesville hopes to bring awareness about the graceful animals that live in tanks.

Nease High School (Sch. World Class)

The Nease High School World program is working hard on a production entitled “ Perception” for the 2016 season. The case is made up of 18 females and 2 males. The Nease team is a very tight knit ensemble this year. They are learning that there is so much more to guard than flags, rifles, and sabres. The team started their show early December. These performers are ready to take the floor again and entertain, they have been weekend warriors Nease has sectionals for 2 hours on Tuesday evenings, and rehearses a combination of about 13 hours on the weekends. Nease World will compete in the FFCC as well as at the WGI level. Their show designers are: Jill Moser, Robby Dufresne, and Randy Nelson. Their staff includes: Lauren O’Grady, George Furlip, Jarret Thompson, and Jessica Carey.